


Creeping Between The Walls, Hiding In The Halls

by Pilicornis



Category: The Borrowers - All Media Types, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Abandoned Midoriya Izuku, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Adopts Midoriya Izuku, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Adopts Shinsou Hitoshi, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead and Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic Adopt Midoriya Izuku, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead and Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic Adopt Shinsou Hitoshi, Anxious Midoriya Izuku, Borrower Kaminari Denki, Borrower Midoriya Izuku, Gen, M/M, Macro/Micro, Midoriya Hisashi's Bad Parenting, Midoriya Inko's Bad Parenting, Midoriya Izuku Needs A Hug, Midoriya Izuku is a Mess, Midoriya Izuku is a Ray of Sunshine, Panic Attacks, Parental Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Parental Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic Adopts Midoriya Izuku, Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic Adopts Shinsou Hitoshi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23793103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pilicornis/pseuds/Pilicornis
Summary: Midoriya Izuku was a borrower, and as such, he knew the rules one had to follow in order to survive.Only take what you need, be prepared for anything, and most importantly, never let the humans learn of your existence.Unfortunately, Izuku always managed to break those rules, which led to his parents' mounting ire and their countless relocations.He expected this house to be no different. He'd stick around for the year, get caught, and then scurry off into the night in search of a new place to stay.He certainly wasn't expecting to be accepted into these human's lives.
Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Midoriya Izuku, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Shinsou Hitoshi, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Kaminari Denki/Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & Shinsou Hitoshi, Midoriya Izuku & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Shinsou Hitoshi & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic
Comments: 77
Kudos: 963





	1. Slinking Around, Blink And You're Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited on 2/19/21

Midoriya Izuku was a borrower, a fact that he'd known ever since he could talk. His mom and dad reminded him of said fact just about every day.

And being a borrower also meant knowing the rules one must follow. Only take what you need, be prepared for anything, and most importantly, _never_ make the humans aware of your existence.

However, Izuku wasn't very good at following the rules. He'd bring things back that were hardly useful at best and trivial at worst. Graphite and small scraps of paper always seemed to make their way into their home because of him, despite borrowers needing no such things. He'd nearly gotten himself trapped in very vulnerable positions more times than he could count as well. Luckily, he'd managed to find his way out of those situations every time, but there were far too many close calls on his track record.

But his greatest offense was how he was constantly toeing the line with the third rule. 

He'd always be up when the humans were up, watching them from a barely concealed position. One accidental glance his way and it'd all be over. His habitual mumbling did him no favors either, creeping into the silence like termites eating through wood.. He was lucky his tiny vocal chords make it hard for humans to hear him from any meaningful distances, but he strayed too close he'd surely get caught.

Izuku couldn't help himself though! The humans were always so interesting and unique! He'd take notes on their daily routines and behaviors, having filled multiple notebooks with his observations. If there were multiple living in the same house, he'd make a record of their interactions as well, learning how their relationships worked.

They were much more diverse than his own kind. Borrowers always had an air of paranoia and gloom around them, which seemed muffle and mute their personalities. That made it so they all seemed like small variations of the same person. They rarely knew other borrowers as well, usually sticking with their families and never straying from that circle. It was dangerous to live in a house with two borrower families after all. All that would come from an arrangement is a higher chance of getting found and scarcer materials.

Humans didn't have much to be scared of though, nor did they have to fight over necessities. This let them have more vibrant and complex personalities and values. One could be loud and obnoxious, another could be shy but stubborn, and another could be blunt to the point of complete social ineptitude, all with minimal consequences. 

Unfortunately, borrowers don't care about human's lives outside of what they need to know to avoid them, much like how a mouse only knows how to detect a cat and flee but not that the cat enjoys belly rubs and feather toys . Izuku's dad left shortly after his hobby made itself known, saying he didn't want to risk getting found out just because his child had no sense of self-preservation or restraint.  His mom stuck around for a few years afterwards, but she eventually left as well, wanting to be rid of all the stress that came with keeping Izuku out of trouble.

Since then, Izuku had to change locations a handful of times due to his ability to attract trouble. It was a common thing back when his mom and dad were around, but moving everything was way harder when he was the only one around to pitch in, so most of his keepsakes ended up being left behind. He'd managed to stick around in the current building for a little over a year now, a fact that he was quite proud of.

The humans he lived with were interesting as per usual. There were three occupants in the house.  The first was a man called Shouta. He seemed like he was always tired, and he wasn't very expressive, but Izuku could tell he cared a lot about his family. He'd make his affections known in smaller ways, usually by ruffling his son's hair or giving his husband a quick kiss before one of them went to work.  The second was another man named Hizashi. He was loud and excitable, though his quirk always made Izuku's ears ring and his bones vibrate. Despite what his quirk did to Izuku, he seemed like a genuinely good person. He seemed to be the most empathetic person in the house, and had an uncanny ability to sense when his family was upset. He also cared about their health, as he made sure they had proper meals and patched them up whenever one got hurt, despite the fact that the other would say it wasn't a big deal.  And the third and final occupant was a boy named Hitoshi, who seemed to be around Izuku's age, though it was a little hard to tell due to their different species. He acted like a miniature version of Shouta, what with his fondness for cats, insomnia, and matching personalities. He was a bit more open with his feelings than Shouta was though, and had infinitely more sass. Izuku could only assume that was thanks to Hizashi's influence.

They were all nice and clearly loved each other, unlike some humans in  Izuku's past homes. Whereas some of his past housemates would yell or ignore each other, this family seemed like they wanted to see each other succeed and tried their best to make that happen. 

He was pretty sure they were starting to suspect something was wrong, though. He found that his mutterings would sometimes to cause Shouta to look around the room suspiciously, and he'd found a couple of rodent traps scattered throughout the place.  Even though they didn't know a borrower lived with them, they did know _something_ was around, which meant Izuku had to be extra careful now.

Which brings us to his current situation. It was four in the morning, and he was silently taking a few dozen grains of rice from the bag on the kitchen counter and putting them in his rucksack.  He'd managed to find the time to borrow a couple other things that night too. Some loose yarn, a pin, two beans, and an entire cracker. He also refilled his water supply, meaning after he stuffed these grains of rice into the bag, he'd be all set for the week.

As he was about to head back into hiding, Izuku saw something glint from the corner of his eye. Turning around, he saw the mystery object sitting on the edge of the coffee table that rested in the living room. Something small and shiny and just _slightly_ pointy. Could it be? It had to be! Lead!

Izuku nearly stumbled in his haste to run towards the edge of the counter and quickly scaled down it using the bars on the drawers as small ledges to hop down from.  
  
  
He knew Shouta would be back from his patrols soon, as he usually managed to sneak in right before five. It was incredibly risky, but he'd run out of things to write with nearly a month ago, and the lack of stimulation was driving him mad enough that he'd started to wonder if Hizashi's makeup would work as a substitute.  Izuku scurried over to one of the legs of the table and pulled out a makeshift grappling hook, one of his most useful creations. It was really just a nail Izuku had bent with the help of his father's quirk tied to a piece of wire, but it worked surprisingly well for what it was. The table had some tiny tiles in the middle, and with a bit of luck his makeshift hook would secure itself on one of them and allow him to climb up.

It took a couple of attempts, and every clack of the hook banging against the table had Izuku looking around frantically, for any signs of movement, but it eventually caught onto its target.  He swiftly climbed up the wire and pulled himself over the table's edge, letting himself rest for a beat before grinning and making a mad dash towards his prize.

However, his time was up, and right as he put the lead into his rucksack, Shouta came through the door, the slight creaking from the old hinges making Izuku's blood run cold.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh _shit_ -," he whispered frantically, and he saw the man's head snap towards him, no doubt seeing his small form even in the dark. Honestly, sometimes he hated the heightened senses the man honed during his time as an underground hero. Izuku futilely tried leap off the table to escape, but was scooped up by a hand before his feet could touch the carpet.

He looked up and saw Shouta's crimson eyes and floating hair, which, when doused in shadows, proved to be more frightening than anything he'd ever seen. 

"Why are you here," Shouta demanded, his tone turning the harsh question into a command to speak. Izuku let out a quiet 'eep' and pulled his legs closer to his body, receding into fetal position.

"Answer me!" he said, his voice starting to rise. He didn't get a response, only a small, whispery plead from the teen; one so quiet that even his trained hearing had to strain to pick up on.

"Please, don't kill me."


	2. Explain Yourself, Don't Hide Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 2/20/21

Shouta had a rough patrol that night and wanted nothing more than go to bed and curl up against his husband when he got home.  Unfortunately, instead of the comfortable weight of blankets surrounding him, he was met with a very tiny intruder on his coffee table instead; something that terrified him. If this person knew where he lived and was able to get inside, then who else knew? What else did they have that they could use against him? Would they attack his family one night while he was out on patrol?

He'd have to put that train of thought on hold though, as a more pressing issue was the person's attempt at escaping. Shouta quickly moved towards the leg they were climbing down and grabbed them from midair, cupping his hands so the only opening was the one right in front of his face. 

Shouta activated his quirk, and when they didn't pop back to full size, he was left to assume they had an extremely inconvenient mutation quirk. Well, inconvenient for them at least.

"Why are you here," he demanded, hoping to get an answer out of them before he took them to the station. The only answer he got was a small ' _eep!_ ' that was followed by the figure curling into themselves.

Irritated with the lack of a response, Shouta pressed harder, his face contorting into a snarl. "Answer me!"

At first, he thought they would continue to stay silent, and was about to just give up and let Tsukauchi deal with it in the interrogation room, but then he heard a trembling whisper come from them.

"Please, don't kill me," they pleaded, wrapping their arms around their legs and hunching in on themselves. He blinked, deactivating his quirk- not that it was helping much anyways- and stared, dumbfounded.  Kill them? Although he doubted they knew he was a hero, Shouta thought they would understand that they'd be going to jail, not to their grave.

With his rage dampened, he decided to talk with the micro-quirked person a bit more.

"Why would I do that?" Shouta asked, and he caught the glimpse of large green eyes before their head tilted back down to rpst on their knees.

"W-well, you're human. That's all there is to it, I guess," they said meekly. 

"Then, if you don't consider yourself human, what are you?" he questioned. His mind was quickly trying to make connections, and the biggest assumption he was getting from the exchange was a potential case of severe quirk discrimination. After all, it takes a lot for a person to not consider themselves as human.

"I-I... um..." They started to wring their hands anxiously, and Shouta waited. He should've really just washed his hands clean of this situation, but his curiosity- and, to a far lesser extent, his concern- had been piqued by this small trespasser.  He must've looked ridiculous, standing in the middle of his living room at four in the morning, talking with a villain trapped in his hands.

"Mum t-told me I sh-shouldn't tell humans, b-but I don't think you'll let m-me go i-if I don't, so..." They froze for a second before they started waving their hands in front of their face, like they were trying to dispel some invisible gnats.

"I-It's not like you'll let me go a-anyway, I know better t-than that, b-but it doesn't h-hurt to try?" they said uncertainly, clearly not confident in their explanation.  Shouta just remained silent, waiting for them to get to the point.

"I'm a borrower," they finally said plainly.

"A _what_?" Shouta questioned. He'd never heard of anything like that, though it sounded similar to some of the fey and pixie-like creatures Hitoshi was interested in when he was younger. Absently, he wondered if he'd find anything on these supposed 'borrowers' in one of the old books they got him during that phase.

"A borrower," they said again, a bit more loudly. Not terribly much, but there was now a voice with them, where previously it was just airy whispers. "We live w-with humans, and t-take small t-things they don't need so we can s-survive."

"So," Shouta started, taken slightly aback by the fact someone besides his family had been living with them for who knows how long without him noticing. "You're _not_ a villain then?"

"N-No?" they said hesitantly. "A-At least, I don't think I am? W-Wait, if I'm here, then d-does that count as trespassing then? Am I a-actually a villain and I j-just haven't known this whole time, oh my gosh I can't believe-"

Shouta sighed and finally moved to turn on a light, which had his passenger subconsciously lowering themselves closer to his palm to avoid falling off while they continued to mumble nonsense that wasn't intelligible to Shouta's ears anymore. Once the room was illuminated, he was able to take a closer look at his previously unknown housemate.

The first thing he noticed was how young the 'borrower' seemed, with large and innocent eyes that almost looked too big for their face, a thin but sturdy form that betrayed nothing towards their gender, and baby fat rounding out freckled cheeks.  The kid also had a mess of dark green curls that practically went down to their shoulders, probably in desperate need of a brush and trim. Their age almost made him dismiss the thought of them being a villain, but he's seen child villains before, and didn't want to make the same mistake he made the first time he encountered one.  Shouta also took note of their clothes while he was looking over the kid. They didn't seem match at all, with red leather shoes, grey pants made of light fabric, and a long sleeved shirt that had some kanji scribbled on it with permanent marker that said 'outside clothes'. The kid's taste was somehow worse than Hizashi's, which was saying something considering his husband almost exclusively wore neon and mismatching patterns.

"Are all, erm, _borrowers_ , this small, or is that because of your quirk?" Shouta asked, interrupting the child's one-manned conversation. To be honest, Shouta was curious if these 'borrowers' could even have quirks. Although, he had to admit that he wasn't completely sold on these things' existence. For all he knew, it could've just been a case of a delusional or traumatized child with a miniaturizing quirk.  
  


"Ah, y-yeah. That's th-the main thing that makes us different from y-you guys," they revealed. He noted that their stuttering had started to die down a bit. That's good, since it meant they were becoming more at ease with his presence, and would hopefully be more willing to accept his help in returning them to wherever they're supposed to be.

"Then, does your 'kind' have quirks?"

"Not usually?" he said uncertainly. "I've never really known any o-other borrowers, besides m-mum an dad. But they told me humans have weird powers that m-most borrowers don't have. Dad had one, b-but mum and I don't," they admitted. Shouta put the information aside for later as he latched onto one bit that the borrower had slipped him unintentionally.

"He _had_ one?" Shouta inquired. "Did something happen that prevents him from using it, or is he not around anymore?"

"O-Oh. I didn't think you'd c-catch that part..." They started to rub the back of their head nervously, and their fingers got caught in their curls a few times until they gave up trying to thread them through their unruly locks altogether.

"He's not around a-anymore, I guess. He left a long time ago, and I barely remember him. Mum did the s-same a couple years later."

"Then who's taking care of you?" Shouta asked, concerned. If the kid didn't remember their father, then that would mean they were young when he left. And if their mother left only a few years afterwards, then at best they would've been left alone when they were 10. An age far too young to take care of themselves. The possibility of foster parents or other family members isn't lost on him, but there hasn't been any mention of anyone else, and assuming the kid has someone to watch over them could be a terrible mistake if it turns out to be untrue.   
  


"No one," they said, raising their shoulders up to their ears and looking away from Shouta. He couldn't help but wince at the confirmation of his thoughts, but he had to be absolutely sure of what was going on.

"So. you've been living this presumably dangerous lifestyle on your own for years now?" Shouta questioned, hoping they would say they misunderstood the question at first or reveal that they were lying.

"Yes? It's not too uncommon for other borrowers to a-abandon their young to save themselves, so it would've happened e-eventually." The child proceeded to tack a few more words onto the end of their sentence, but Shouta couldn't make them out.

When later asked, Shouta would claim that he tried to fight against his instincts. He'd say it was a long and hard battle that he barely lost in. These claims would prove to be false however, as merely seconds after getting confirmation from the child, he would give in and say the following:

"In that case, I guess I'll have to take their place in caring for you."

A blink. Then another. A deep inhale, and then the stammering began.

"W-W-What? What do you m-mean 't-take care of me'? Th-That just doesn't make se-sense! You have your f-family to look after, and I-I can't possibly get in the w-way of that! We aren't even the same s-species!" they cried out, eyes wide with disbelief and hands moving wildly as they spoke. Their trembling had started up again as well, and they began to draw their limbs closer to themselves as if they could hide them and disappear.

"I can't live here knowing a child is fending for themselves in the same house as us," Shouta rationalized. "Plus, if this really isn't the work of a quirk, then most foster homes won't be well-fitted to look after you. Not to mention how crowded those houses can be at times, since some houses can have up to six children in them, which sounds like recipe for disaster with your small form being among them."

"That's not how t-this works! We're supposed to avoid and hide from humans, not be h-helped by them!"

"Well, you don't seem to adhere to the avoidance rule very well, since I've been hearing what I can now only assume was your mumbling for almost a year." The kid looked away sheepishly at that and rubbed the back of their head again, their lips quirking downwards into a frown.

"I'm not saying you have to stay in the living portions of the house if you're not comfortable with that arrangement. You can keep your tiny home in the walls or ceiling or wherever it is. I just want you to come out during the day so I can make sure you're not dying of starvation or dehydration," Shouta reasoned. 

"Do I have a choice?" the kid asked, obviously discontent with Shouta's proposition. 

"Not really," Shouta replied, although the kid looked like they already knew the answer beforehand.

"Fine. Can I go b-back now?" they tried, clearly eager to get away from their captor. 

"Sure. I just need one last answer from you. What's your name and gender? I can't just keep calling you kid, you know." The kid looked up with wide eyes, probably realizing they never told Shouta that information. He can't exactly blame them for not doing so though, since trying to explain your innocence is a far more pressing matter than introducing yourself.

"My name's Midoriya I-Izuku, and, u-um, I identify as m-male," they- _wait, no_ \- he said. Shouta nodded in response and, reluctantly, put him back onto the floor, watching as the kid scurried into the hallway and out of sight.

He sighed and shook his head a bit. He could already tell that Midoriya was going to be a problem child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, the last couple hundred words of this chapter hated me and beat me up in a Ruler Foods parking lot. Let's see how many people get annoyed by Izuku's stuttering and the fact that this chapter is basically all dialogue.
> 
> Anyways, I can't believe how much this fic has blown up in such a short amount of time! Thank you all so much!


	3. Hush Now, Tuck Yourself Out Of View; Don't Let Them See The Real You.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for a panic attack. If you wish to skip it, read until 'Whatever courage Izuku previously had had left him' and pick up at "-zuku. Izuku. Just breathe.".
> 
> This work is on hiatus for a while. The explanation for this is in my profile if you want to know why. Sorry.

When Izuku first woke up the next morning, he was almost certain that the encounter was a dream. But one look at his sack in the corner proved him wrong, as he could see the cracker he had borrowed last night sticking out, the flap barely being able to close. He tried to get ready, changing out if his shoddily made night clothes, but his movements were sluggish, almost deliberately slowing down to stall for time, trying to keep him within the safety of his home. Despite his fascination with the humans, he couldn't help the pit of dread that planted itself in him at the thought of revealing himself to the rest of the house's occupants.

But he couldn't wait around any longer. If he failed to show up, Shouta might look for him during his supply runs, or worse, try to kill him for his disobedience. Granted, there was still the possibility he'd be killed despite the man's words. He had no way of knowing Shouta's true intentions, and for all he knew he was planning a public execution for him.

Knowing full well he couldn't avoid whatever awaited him, Izuku fixed his spare rucksack over his shoulders and slipped his shoes on, ready to traverse the route he had used all year. 

His home was a small open space that he happened to stumble upon inside the wall of the main hallway. He had multiple exit points: one for each of the human's bedrooms, one for the study, and one for the hall itself. He wished he had a better way to get to the kitchen, but it was on the other side of the living room, making it the room furthest away from his hideout.

The route Izuku had set up within the walls was as reliable as he could make it. He had a pulley he would use to lower himself onto a small ridge that he could carefully walk across, which went all along the interior. Then he could either go out into the hall from a hole hidden behind a bookcase or pull himself up with another pulley to access a hole that led into the ceiling. From there he just had to find the other holes he had made, which all have yet another pulley system leading out of them to a safe spot hidden out of view. The whole thing took him nearly four months to set up, but he was extremely satisfied afterwards, and he used it almost every day.

After he squeezed himself out from the narrow gap between the bookcase and the wall, he hesitated for a second. He could probably just leave, right? They couldn't hurt him if they couldn't find him in their home, and Shouta would probably forget he even existed after a while. And sure, he might get eaten by a predator or starve before he could find a new home, but he also might not, right? But then what if Shouta tracked him down or caught him before he could even get out of the house? Or what if one of the other occupants did and were far less merciful? Maybe Shouta had installed fatal traps for Izuku to trigger as he tried to leave, killing him in one swift motion.

Izuku snapped back to reality at the sound of footsteps heading his way, and he pressed himself as close to the bookcase as he could, nearly sinking into the shadows. Although it made his heart rate jump up a bit, it did distract him from all the horrid possibilities his mind supplied him with to keep him in a state of uncertainty. After he couldn't hear the footfalls anymore, he took five more minutes to muster as much courage as he could- which wasn't very much but it was still something- and left the safety of the gap, exposing himself.

The first thing he noticed was that the hallway looked different than it did at night. The shine of the polished floorboards was more noticeable and he saw that the walls had been painted a somewhat light gray with occasional white shapes here and there, the most noticeable ones being the unfilled stars that seemed to trail across the the middle of the walls all the way to the ends of the corridor. 

He could tell who influenced what parts, even though he'd never interacted with the humans of the house before last night. Shouta had to have chosen with the gray paint, Hizashi managed to make him go with a lighter shade and probably brought the idea of having little designs scattered about, and Hitoshi must've picked the stars, since he has a lot of space-themed objects in his room. Looking up, Izuku could see some little glow in the dark stars plastered on the ceiling as well. If Hitoshi had his way, he'd bet the whole house would be painted like a galaxy.

He followed the stars all the way to the hallway's opening, where two of the three family members most likely sat at the table out of view. Shouta was the only one who could see him at the moment, and Izuku gave a small wave as the man's eyes widened a fraction at his sudden appearance. Shouta suddenly got up and padded over to one of the cabinets, pulling out a small plate and put some small bits of scrambled egg and bacon on it, and added half an orange slice on it after nearly walking back to the table, most likely a last minute healthy addition for Izuku. He placed it at the spot next to where he previously sat, clearly wanting the boy to come over and join him and his family. Izuku forced his legs to move forward, his stomach excited at the thought of warm food, while his instincts were screaming he was walking towards certain doom. He stopped right at the end of the hall in the vain hopes that Shouta would be generous and not force him to come out for the meal.

"Hey Sho, what's with the extra plate?" Hizashi asked, puzzlement evident in his voice. Shouta didn't give his husband an answer, instead choosing to subtly stare at Izuku, waiting for him to make his move. Damn, no dice.

The clinking of utensils had long since stopped, most likely out of confusion towards Shouta's strange actions. Figuring he'd have to go now or be chased through the house, Izuku scurried across the floor, managing to catch a glimpse of Hizashi and Hitoshi's questioning looks towards the scruffy man, failing to notice the small figure running by. Izuku grabbed a fistful of Shouta's pant leg and hid himself out of the others' view, though his moment of being invisible to them was short lived as Shouta scooped him up carefully and deposited him on the table, the borrower nearly falling flat on his face from the tremors that quickly emerged from him during the short ride up.

A beat of silence. Then two, and then three. A fourth almost followed, but Hitoshi's voice cut through the quiet before it could pass.

"Who the hell are you?" he questioned, distrust lacing his words and a glare marring his face. Hizashi was still stunned, his glasses slid halfway down his nose and mouth agape, eyes flicking between Shouta and Izuku. Shouta glanced down at Izuku, clearly wanting the boy to answer for himself.

"M-Midor-riya I-I-Izuku," he squeaked out, wishing nothing more than for the wood beneath his feet to swallow him up and stow him away from the attention he had captured with his sudden appearance. The longer their gazes stayed on him, the more his anxiety pressed down on him, nearly suffocating him. Everything felt tight and he couldn't seem to move an inch, not even being able to look away from the spot on the table his eyes had locked onto.

"Sho, can you _please_ tell me why there's a tiny kid here all of a sudden?" Hizashi asked, his eyes flicking between the the borrower and his husband.

"I found him last night," Shouta replied vaguely. Something about his tone seemed to deter Hizashi from going deeper into the subject and he turned his attention back to Izuku, scanning him up and down before coming to a conclusion. 

"Are you... homeless?" Izuku sent another hopeless look towards Shouta, but the man continued to do nothing but stand there and monitor the situation.

"N-No? A-At least, n-not r-right now," he said, voice cracking every other syllable. 

"Not right now? So you were at some point?" After another quick glance along his form, the blond continued. "Are you safe?" Safe? It's never safe with humans around, and this was quite easily the most dangerous predicament Izuku had ever bumbled his way into.

Whatever courage Izuku previously had had left him, unable to take the simple question and the humans' sheer presence, leaving him with nothing but his already heavily shaken nerves. His tongue seemed to turn to ash and his voice died out, becoming completely inaccessible to him. Coupled with his shaking that could rival a washing machine with a brick in it and Hitoshi's menacing glare that he refused to drop, he just couldn't take it anymore and, despite his mind's protest, collapsed onto the table. A few tears spilled  out as he subconsciously tried to make himself as small as possible to hide himself, attempting to keep his weakness hidden from threats his instincts had been screaming at him about since he left the comfort of his small home. 

He felt something warm encompass him and his body tensed even more than it already was, practically threatening to crush him with the tightness of his own muscles. This was it. He knew it would happen, he knew Shouta would use this opportunity to be rid of the pest invading his house, but Izuku failed to listen to himself and now look where he was. In the palms of a borrower's worst nightmare, weak and unable to fight back because his body just wouldn't move.

' _Stupid useless Izuku! Always messing things up and sticking your nose where it doesn't belong! No wonder everyone leaves you alone!_ ' a voice in his head taunted, and he agreed completely with it. It's always his fault, and now he was going to get what he deserved after nearly fourteen years of being a burden on his kind.

Time seemed to drag on and he couldn't hear anything besides the blood rushing in his ears. It was taking too long. Was this some kind of psychological torture tactic to prolong his suffering? Letting him stew in anticipation, never knowing when the fatal blow will come? Maybe they were trying to give him a false sense of security, only to strike once he relaxed in the slightest bit.

Eventually he started relax, his body unable to take being coiled up like a tightly wound spring anymore. He began to feel his surroundings again, the sensations coming back to him slowly as everything within him seemed to loosen. Something soft was beneath him, different from the flesh he was previously sitting on, being lighter and drawing him inwards. And something was touching his back, stroking it lightly in a way that seemed to make his body relax minutely. It was warm. Why was it warm?

Then there was a voice. It was muffled for a while, the only thing he was able to glean being a deep tone. But then the garbled speech started to transform into words, calling his name and speaking to him.

"-zuku. Izuku. Just breathe. In and out, just like you're doing right now. Good, you're coming back." Was that Shouta? What was he doing? And why did he feel awful all over? His lungs ached and burned, his head was light, his entire body felt like it got hit by a truck, and his throat was absolutely arid. What the hell happened?

Izuku slowly uncurled himself and pried his eyes open, grimacing as they stuck together slightly. He was on a bed with a black comforter on top. The room was the same light gray as the rest of the house, but he could see a few record cases hanging on the wall, along with a single sticker of a cat. Was this Shouta's room? It _had_ to be, it looked exactly like it. But why was he in here. He quickly spun around and saw Shouta at the end of the bed, crouched down to his level, his hand retreating back towards him.

"Wh-What ha-happened?" Izuku asked, wincing as he heard how hoarse his voice was.

"You had a panic attack, kid." Shouta responded, concern barely worming its way into his voice but oh so clear in his expression.

"I... did? Ho-How long w-was I gone f-for?" Panic attacks weren't new to Izuku, but they'd never been this bad for him. He was usually able to wait it out in the comfort of his home and get back to work almost immediately afterwards. They had never left him this wrecked, nor as exhausted as he was right then.

"About twenty five minutes." Izuku's breath hitched. That long? Not even the worst attacks had taken up so much time, as they usually passed within a few minutes, maybe ten at most. He knew he was stressed to hell and back, and his fear had held him on a tight leash during the entire meeting, but it was bad enough to incapacitate him for twenty five entire minutes? God, this day couldn't get any worse. If the other humans hadn't wanted him gone before, they definitely did now.

"They won't kick you out, I'll make sure of it," Shouta said. And now he was muttering wasn't he? Fantastic. "Though we'll have to talk about your other panic attacks later, as it can't possibly be healthy to know them so intimately. For now, can I get you anything?" Izuku paused, contemplating his choices. Even though the rational side of him claimed that anything anything he got could be poisoned or trapped, the rest of him yearned for water. Even if it wasn't poisoned, he would still be taking advantage of the kindness Shouta was offering him, but he just couldn't resist.

"W-Water, p-please," he said quietly. Shouta stood up and took a step towards the door before turning back around.

"Will you be alright on your own for a few minutes?" he asked, obviously still worried for Izuku. He'd survived this long on his own though, and it'd be best if he wasted as little of Shouta's time as possible. 

"Y-yes." The man stared at him, as if he were trying to read his thoughts, but gave up and responded with a quick 'I'll be back soon,' before stepping out into the hallway and living Izuku alone with his thoughts and the comforter. At least he'd be able to get a drink before going back into hiding and never coming out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, Shouta's going going to commit murder in the next chapter (Whenever I get around to making it.).
> 
> I don't know if it shows, but I like to think my writing has gotten slightly better over the past month, since I've been working to flesh out some OCs I have, updating their profiles so they aren't as barren and lifeless. Again, the whole improvement deal might just be in my head, or maybe I got worse. :/
> 
> Also, sorry if Izu's panic attack was unrealistic. I've only had one and it was extremely short, so I'm not completely solid on the different things someone might feel or do during one. I tried my best to not butcher it, but chances are that I did since my experience is as low as it can get.
> 
> I wanna take a second and thank you all for your support! I love every comment I get, and I can't believe how many kudos, bookmarks, and hits this has gotten over the past month! Y'all are super kind, and I'm glad you all like this little fic!


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